


Delinquent Rep

by egdelwonk7102



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Bullying, Fights, Tanaka is a good senpai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-02-28 07:10:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18751531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/egdelwonk7102/pseuds/egdelwonk7102
Summary: Tanaka has a reputation for being a delinquent, but in reality, he's a pretty nice guy. Just don't get on his bad side.When the new first-years arrive, his reputation is put to the test. Is it just a lie or is he really a delinquent?





	1. Chapter 1

Golden sunlight streamed through the windows of the gym. The morning’s stale air was stirred by the movements of eager first-years waiting for the arrival of the Karasuno Volleyball Team. 

"Tanaka, stop making that face. You're gonna scare the first years." Ennoshita quipped with a hint of exhaustion that has come far too early seeing how they've only just walked into the gym. 

"Maybe they should be scared... Maybe we should weed out the weaklings. No sense in waiting for them to quit, let's run 'em out now." His grimace grew even more disturbing and his hands dipped deeper into his pockets; his “I’m a badass” walk was complete.

"Tanaka, we're not doing that. Let's at least give them the chance to decide for themselves if this team is for them."

“And that's why you're captain, Ennoshita. You always know just what to do.” Noya was as perky and exuberant as ever. He skipped along with Tanaka over to the line of first years that was beginning to form. Meanwhile, Narita and Kinoshita walked calmly behind their captain who was not so calm. On the way from the club room to the gym he had tried to channel his inner Daichi. Now, the moment was upon him. In his best captain voice, Ennoshita addressed the new recruits. 

“Hello everyone. Welcome to Karasuno. We here in the Volleyball Club are happy to see so many eager souls ready to join the team. We’ll do proper introductions when the second years arrive, but for now, I’m the captain, Ennoshita Chikara, and the vice captain is Ta-”

“TANAKA RYUUNOSUKE! But you can call me Tanaka-senpai!” He shouted directly to the first years with his thumbs pointing to himself. They each took a step back with a troubled expression on their faces. “I’m not as gentle as the captain, so don’t expect this year to be a-”

“Tanaka, cut it out. We all know how much of a doting senpai you are.” Ennoshita put an end to his shenanigans.

Just as Tanaka recovered from the blow Ennoshita sent him, the second years walked into the gym. “Yeah, Tanaka-senpai. You totally saved me and Kageyama last year. Well, there was that time that you punched us in the face, but we totally deserved that.”

With that statement, Tanaka jumped back to life. His delinquent rep had been restored, somewhat, as the first years wondered what exactly Hinata and Kageyama did to deserve a punch from their scary senpai.

“Alright everyone, that’s enough. Since everyone’s here now, why don’t we do introductions. Like I said, I’m captain Ennoshita Chikara. I play Wing Spiker.”

“I’m your ace and vice captain Tanaka Ryuunosuke.”

“I am your Guardian Deity. The libero of Karasuno. Nishinoya Yuu.”

“I’m Kinoshita Hisashi and I’m a Wing Spiker and Pinch Server.”

“Narita Kazuhito. I’m a Middle Blocker.”

“Kageyama Tobio. Setter.”

“I’m Hinata Shoyo and I’m a Middle Blocker and Decoy.”

“Tsukishima Kei. Middle Blocker.”

“And I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi. I’m a Middle Blocker, but mostly I’m the Pinch Server.”

“Alright, now that we’ve introduced ourselves, why don’t you give us your names and the position you played in junior high. If you’re wanting to switch positions, tell us that too.”  
\-----------------  
30 minutes later 

“I’m not liking any of these first years Ennoshita.” 

“You say that about everyone, Tanaka. Just give yourself a few days and you’ll warm up to them. Like I said, you can’t resist being the loving senpai.”

“I am a good senpai, aren’t I.”

“Why don’t you go round them up. You’ll get a better sense of what they’re like. Practice starts again in two minutes.” With that, Ennoshita walked away towards his fellow third years leaving Tanaka to wrangle them alone.

He scanned the gym for his first victim when his eyes settled upon a newbie struggling to receive the ball being tossed to him. Tsk. What kinda high schooler can’t even return the ball to his partner?

Tanaka jogged over to them, and before he got close, he could hear the insults coming from the other first years surrounding the struggling one.

“What’re you doing? You can’t even hit the ball back to him.”  
“How do expect to stay on the team with skills like that. At most, they’ll let you help out the manager.”  
“Yeah, she’s pretty cute.”

Suddenly, the ball bounced off his arms. In an attempt to catch it before it rolled away, he ran after it. Unfortunately, Tanaka happened to be standing a few feet away directly in the boy’s path.

“Aah! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to run into you!” The boy’s gaze went from the ball on the floor all the way up to Tanaka’s sneering face.

“Remind me again, who are you?” Both of their expressions tightened. Tanaka’s in fake anger. The boy’s in real fear.

“U-uhm,” he laughed nervously, “I’m Ikeda Kenta from Todaiji Junior High.”

“Well, Ikeda, it’s about time someone teaches you how to return a ball.”

“It is?”

“Yeah. Say… you’re the one who’s never played volleyball before, right?”

“Uh… yes sir.”

“You mean senpai.”

“Uh yeah… yes senpai.” He smiled lightly and with relief

“Alright, let me show you how this works before Ennoshita gets a hold of you.” Tanaka pats him on the shoulder. 

 

30 minutes later

Coach Ukai blew his whistle. “Alright, that was the last set. Everyone take a moment to cool down and let’s meet on the side of the court in two minutes.” 

Ennoshita wiped the sweat from his face with the bottom of his shirt. He saw their potential and felt proud of his team-to-be.“Thanks everyone for an amazing first practice. You all showed a lot of potential and I feel good about what we can accomplish together. Now, with the first practice out of the way, it’s time to look forward to everyone’s favorite part… the first-year game.”

“All right!”  
“Yeah!” Old Karasuno whooped while the first-years looked at each with mild confusion.

“Each year, we split up the first-years onto two teams each with upper-classmen to fill in the gaps.”  
“The game is on Saturday and there’s only a few practices until then, so make sure that you’re here to work on your basics. We’ll use the data we gather from the game to figure out what we need to focus on.”

“Thanks, Ennoshita. Remember, practice starts at the same time tomorrow morning. Make sure to put up the equipment. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.” And with that, Ukai walked outside and towards his shop.

The team scattered to pick up the loose balls and put away the net. Each person was engrossed in their tasks, even Tanaka and Noya who would occasionally try to sneak back to the club room before everything was put away. When he picked up the last of the balls, Tanaka searched the entire gym for Ikeda. He saw the back of his body trudging into the supply closet to return the broom. He gave off a thick aura of despair.

Tanaka jogged towards him hoping to catch him alone. He knew what Ikeda was dealing with and didn’t want to embarrass him in front of the other first-years, at least not anymore than he had already been embarrassed.

He didn’t notice Tanaka reaching to pat his shoulder. He kept replaying today’s practice in his head. Screwing up every possible thing was something he was good at.

“Hey, Ikeda.”  
“Oh… uh… hi Tanaka-senpai. Did you need something?” He nervously rubbed his neck and elbowed Tanaka’s hand from his shoulder. Tanaka, feeling dejected, looked at him with worried eyes.

“I saw that you were having a lot of trouble today and I just wanted you to know that I’m always her if you need an extra hand. Just let me know if you wanna get in some extra practice.”  
“Uh… yeah, okay. I’ll let you know.” Ikeda raised his head to see Tanaka walking away from him and towards his third-year teammates.

He was unsure of what to make of his senpai’s offer. He’d never had anyone say something like that to him.


	2. Chapter 2

_The next day ___

____

“Alright everyone, practice dismissed.” Ennoshita shooed the team away. Their sweaty stench was becoming unbearable. But, before he could walk away, two idiots ran behind him.

“CAN HINATA AND I DO ONE MORE ROUND?!” The expression on his face quickly dropped to one of exasperation. 

“Yeah, what he said? Just one more?” Without seeing their faces, he knew that both of them were staring at him with wide, unblinking eyes.

“Practice is over.” Ennoshita turned around to see two giddy volleyball players jumping up and down looking for a way to exhaust their energy. “Alright. Just one more. But that means you both have to clean up the gym.”

“We will!” In unison.

He was being kind. With Daichi, Suga, and Asahi gone, several holes had formed in the team’s abilities. They would need all of the practice they could get in order to return to nationals. Despite their hard work over the break, their improvements amount to little when compared to other teams that have practiced just as hard. 

“Aah youth.” He said so with the knowledge of a life well lived.  
“Tanaka we’re still young.” Ennoshita, having put up with his antics for far too long, attempted to shut down whatever joke Tanaka was trying to make. But despite his attempt, he knew that Tanaka would still make the joke anyway.

“But imagine us as we once were, Captain. Our zest for life was unparalleled. Now… look at you. All the signs of old age without the wisdom to show for it. Wait...” Tanaka plucked at Ennoshita’s head. “Is that a gray hair I see?” He buzzed around somehow managing to avoid getting elbowed in the gut.

“Would you stop it already! You’re giving the first-years new ideas and you know I don’t appreciate it when they undermine my authority.”

“Your authority… Come on. Like anyone would try to do that.” Tanaka’s composure was slipping from the hilarity of his own joke. He quickly turned away from Ennoshita’s scowl and noticed the big ball of nerves walking towards them. “And speaking of first-years, here comes one now. What can we do for you Ikeda?”

“Tanaka-senpai, I was wondering if what you said yesterday was still true.”  
“I said something yesterday? What’d I say?” Tanaka, clearly confused, furrowed his brow  
“You said that you could help me out with practice.” He looked away and shuffled his feet.  
“I did? Really? Wow, yesterday me was really nice.” He was slightly proud of himself. “Well, I guess it is a senpai’s duty to help his kouhai. Be here tomorrow morning at 6.”

“Thank you, Tanaka-senpai. I’m glad that you’re helping me.” Ikeda practically skipped away.

 

_The next morning ___

The sun had just barely risen and the air was chillier than it should have been for a mid-Spring day. Ikeda arrived 20 minutes early. He was eager to learn everything Tanaka had to offer.

“Tanaka-senpai!” He yelled waving his arms. The cold air froze his breath and reddened his cheeks.

“Geez, quiet down. It’s 6 in the morning,” Tanaka yawned. He unlocked the door and they made their way into the gym. They sat against the wall and changed into their volleyball shoes.

“Let’s start with some simple stuff…”  
“Okay. What do you have in mind?”  
“Oh, just a few questions… So, what made you want to start volleyball?”  
“I don’t know. Just that... I saw you guys on television and I couldn’t get it out of my head.” He looked down sheepishly.

“Get what out of your head?” Tanaka quirked up an eyebrow.

He said shyly, “I saw what good friends you guys were, and I thought that maybe I could have the same thing.”

“Uh… well… did you not have that last year?” He looked concerned. Based off of what he saw yesterday with the other first-years, Tanaka could see that Ikeda may not be the most popular person. 

“No. I’ve never really had many friends.” He glanced at Tanaka and saw the sadness/guilt on his face. “But--” Tanaka looked up quickly.

“But now… I’m here. I’m at Karasuno. And I’m here with the volleyball team.” Small smiles crept across their faces.

“Yeah… and you’re here with me… your senpai, and I’m gonna make sure that your first year is the best that it can be.”

Tanaka patted him on the back, stood up, and ushered for him to toss the ball.

“Tanaka-senpai. You’re not as scary as I thought you were gonna be.”


	3. Chapter 3

_Saturday_

Noya may have been a morning person, but Ennoshita and Tanaka definitely were not. He skipped his way to the gym while they trailed along several feet behind him. Tanaka’s mouth gaped as he yawned ferociously; the silence was making him drowsy. He needed to wake up before Hinata’s yelling irritated his sleep-addled brain. So, he slung his arm across Ennoshita’s shoulders. Tanaka knew that no matter how tired, Ennoshita would fight off all of his antics and shenanigans. Just as he assumed, Ennoshita wiggled away then quickly jabbed him in the side with his elbow. And with that, they were back in step, both more awake than they had been moments ago. While he was in a good mood, Tanaka decided know was the best time to ask him for a favor.

“So, Captain, who are you gonna put on my team?” He nonchalantly put his hands in the band of his shorts.  
“I’m still deciding. Why do you ask?” He wondered, genuinely curious about Tanaka’s intentions.  
“Well, I was hoping you could put Ikeda with me. I’ve been working with him before school and I want him to do his best today. Plus, you know Kageyama would eat him alive.”  
“True. Fine, he can be on your team, but you don’t get to pick anyone else,” he conceded.  
“Fine with me… Captain.” He smirked. Once they entered the gym, they slowed their pace. The rest of the team was already inside setting up the equipment.

“Alright, everyone! Listen up! Thank you for coming out so early on a Saturday. And thanks to all of the second and third years that didn’t have to be here until after the game for the afternoon practice. First-years, take note of their dedication and teamwork. Also, I assume you’ve already warmed up, so get ready to be split into teams of four.” Ennoshita had brought his A game.  
“But, Captain. There’s only six of us.” Ueno, the loud-mouth first-year, demonstrated his lack of tact.  
“That’s correct. Both teams of three will be led by Tanaka and Kageyama. Kageyama will be on the other side of the court, so once I call your name you can go.” He deliberated for another 30 seconds before making his final decision.

“Akiyama, Saito, and Nakajima. You’re with Kageyama.” The three of them high-fived and proudly met Kageyama on the other side of the net.  
“Ikeda, Kojima, and Ueno. You’re with Tanaka.” Ikeda eagerly approached Tanaka while Kojima and Ueno rolled their eyes.

Tanaka pretended not to notice their blatant disapproval of Ennoshita’s team arrangement. He knows that no one wants to play on Ikeda’s team, but they’re gonna have to deal with it.

“Okay, so here’s what we’re gonna do. Kojima, you’re gonna be my setter and Ueno, you’re gonna be a blocker.”  
“What about Ikeda?” Ueno, yet again, couldn’t keep his mouth shut.  
“Yeah, what’s he gonna do?” Kojima chimed in.  
"What can he do?" Despite Tanaka’s grimace, Ueno still hadn’t gotten the message.  
"How about when this is done, you two clean up the entire gym. BY YOURSELVES! I don't know what you did in junior high, but here at Karasuno, we don't talk about our teammates!" They stared at the floor, unable to open their mouths. Ikeda was embarrassed that he needed Tanaka to come to his rescue, but also glad that he had someone that would stand up for him.

"Ikeda, You just try your best to keep those balls in the air."  
“I will, Tanaka-senpai.” His eyes sparkled with joy.  
“Great. Ueno, you’re up first.” Tanaka didn’t even look in his direction as he walked towards the net.  
“Yes, Tanaka-senpai.” Ueno mumbled.

He was proud of himself for handling the situation and acting like a true Vice Captain. He walked to his position, trying desperately to hide his grin. All of that “senpai” talk was giving him a big head.

_Middle of the second set_

The stench of sweat was becoming stronger with each ball that they had to chase down. They ran around their half of the court every time Ikeda sent a ball flying in the wrong direction. Although Tanaka was happy that he could keep the volleyball live, he was a little annoyed at all of the energy they were wasting. After another ball slammed onto their side of the court, Tanaka took a moment to talk to his team.

“Ikeda, you’ve gotta keep your eyes on the ball. Don’t worry about trying to have a perfect form, it’ll come to you eventually. Just make sure that whatever form you do have is good enough to keep the ball from flying in the wrong direction.”  
“Got it.”  
“And you two! I know what you’re doing. You’re letting Ikeda run around the entire damn court to catch the ball while you stand there and watch. If I catch you slacking off again, I’ll make sure you don’t even get to play in the practice games!” Tanaka was livid.

He didn’t want to be harsh, but he didn’t know any other way to get Ueno and Kojima to stop being such assholes. Tanaka had never seemed as scary as he did in that moment and they were not about to make him any angrier. Instantly, they became more cooperative.

Ennoshita, watching from the sidelines gave Coach Ukai a knowing look. He checked the scoreboard; Tanaka’s team was 10 points behind. A few seconds later, Yachi changed score again. Now they were down by 11.

 

* * *

_ End of practice _

 

“Alright, practice is over. Everyone did a good job today, especially Kageyama’s team.You kept a constant lead of at least 5 points and ended the game in two sets. We’ll take the data from the game and analyze it so that we can have a structured practice on Monday. Now let’s do 5 minutes of stretching before we clean up and head home.”Ennoshita sat down on the ground and began stretching his legs. 

 

Tanaka walked over to Ikeda and helped him with his stretches. Both of them would definitely be sore the next day. 

 

“You did a good job today. You missed less balls than yesterday and less than the day before that.”

“Thank you, Tanaka-senpai.” 

“Hahaha! Of course! Nothing but the best from your senpai.” He stood proudly. 

 

“RYUUUU! Can I come over to your house?” Noya nearly knocked him over as he jumped on his back.

“Yeah! Saeko’s not home so we can do whatever we want.”

“Alright! I’ll see if Narita and Kinoshita wanna come.”Noya jumped off his back and skipped away

“Cool. I’ll ask Ennoshita.”He left Ikeda sitting on the floor, his volleyball shoes tapping against the floor.

 

“Hey, Captain! The third-years are hanging out at my house. Do you wanna join?”

“Spend time with the four people that I already see too much of… Sure, sounds like fun.”

“Great. Let me grab my stuff.”

“Wait, we have to clean up first.”

“Actually I sorta promised Ueno and Kojima that we’d let them clean the gym today.”Tanaka gave him a sweet, innocent smile.”

“Tanaka, what did you do?” He could feel his brow furrowing. 

“Oh nothing. They REALLY wanna clean them gym today. They told me so.”

“Is this about earlier when I put them on your team? It’ll take them an hour, at least.”

“But they REALLY REALLY wanna do it. Captain.” Tanaka calls him Captain everytime he wants something. And it always works. Ennoshita paused, pretending to be on-the-fence about Tanaka’s request. 

“Alright, alright. But this is the last time I let you get your way.” Tanaka smirked. Ennoshita sighed.

 

“Everyone, as specially requested by Kojima and Ueno, they will clean up the gym by themselves today. Have a good night and I’ll see you Monday morning.”


End file.
